Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-02-19
WITH TIE COSSACkS.
A BIT OF EXPERIENCE IN A
SkiRMiSIt WITH THE TURKS.
The Exhilaration Of Riding in a Charge.
Horses as Well a. Men Feel Unique
StimuIu--An Impressive. Devotional
Finale.


Finale.
About the middle Of autumn we made
a reconnaissance in the direction Of Ras-
grad. To endeavur to discover the strength
of the enemy there. Three regiments of
CossaCks made mp the force, and we
marched all day and part Of the night be-
fore we came in the vicinity of the enemy.
On the morning of the second day it was
reported that n considerable detachment
of Turkish irregulars was encamped n
short distance in front of us. We had
been moving during the night with as
little noise as possible, and had bivouacked
i'll the rain without building n fire, in
order Ia give no notice of our approach to
the enemy's piCkets. Ii was only Just
daybreak when the orders to march were
given. and the column proceeded cautious
ly with few scouts in advance.
In n half hour or so we who were riding
little ahead of the column could see the
characteristic concal Turkish tents as
sembled in little valley a short distance
beyond. Al the same instance our scouts
engaged the enemy's pickets, and the
column halted. The camp in sight was
evidently only n large outpost. and the
general Immediately gave orders for one
regiment To form and charge through the
camp. We could see the men Of the dcs-
ignated regiment uncover and cross them
selves, and in a moment the head Of the
detachment was rapidly moving past us.
Among the officers rode the major my
old friend of the DpbrudsCha, who, I'M
known to me, had been promoted to q
lieutenant colonclcy and transferred TO
another regiment As he dashed past he
made gesture Of recognition and waved
his hand for me TO follow
RIDING N 4 CHARGE.
believe it was more the horses fault
than my own, for certainly | never had a
deliberate intention of riding in a charge
If could help, but before l knew it l was
at the majors side. of we went at u
trot, changing our formation to regi-
mental front. Then, in all irregular line,
much broken by the inequalities of the
ground, we swept down the slope at q
gallop. There was some firing, and few
Cossacks fell, but ! doubt if anybody
heard shot. The thunder Of the hoofs,
the shaking Of the grain bags, the rattling
of the cooking utensils and the resound-
ing whacks of the nagajkas filled the air
with multitude of noises which drowned
all other sounds. The eXhilaration of the
moment was supreme. Horses as well as
men felt lis unique stimulus, and we
rushed through that camp. sweeping il
away as the sudden cloudburst in the
Rockies tears out the bed of the arroya.
1t was one of those rare moments of life
when all sense of individuality is merged
in that utterly overwhelming feeling Of
eXaltatiOn, i'll that intoNication of magnet
ism which often possesses large masses OF
men moved by some grand and stimuli
taneous impulse. 1t was, perhaps. after
all, very trivial affair from military
point of view, but the sensation expert
enCed was by no means insignificant or
easily forgotten.
Part of the Turkish force took to flight
in time and escaped; those who remained
to defend their camp were sabred, spitted
like fowl on the lanCeS or captured and led
back Ia the main column at the end of a
lariat. The finale of this little incident
was fully as impressive as the charge it.
self, although in quite another way.
After we made camp that night the men
Of the regiment which had engaged the
enemy were drawn up in line with uncov-
cred heads and sang a religious hymn in
chorus. How different now were those
faces which a few hours before had been
distorted with the cruel expressions of
hatred of the infidel, or glorified by the
excitement of the charge or with the
consciousness Of victory. Uniforms apart,
the men looked like a rank of devout,
peaceful farmers, bronzed by tine sun in
the fields and begrined with the dust Of
agriculture. The hymn rolled forth in
quaint, sad cadences. tuned TO a minor
key, like most of the native melodies
Along the ranks a gap purposely left here
and there showed where comrade had
stood the day before. Although l could
not catch a word they sang the signiti-
canoe of the hymn could not he mistaken.
Many rough hands brushed fearful eyes
before the last mournful note died away,
and the regiment then dispersed about the
camp with a quiet step. as if the least
noise were an insult TO the dead-F. ID.
Millett in Harrers.